The Archaeological Civic Museum of Desenzano del Garda, named after Giovanni Rambotti, was opened in 1990 and refurbished in 2011. The idea of establishing an archaeological museum dedicated to the prehistory of the Lake Garda area had already gained traction in the early 80s of the last century thanks to the success of excavations by R. Perini at Lavagnone and the sensational discovery of a plough, the recovery of materials collected by local enthusiasts in the many submerged pilings along the southern shores of the lake, the systematic surface finds in Lavagnone during ploughing periods, the activity of the Archaeological Group of Desenzano (GAD) and the ‘Pile Group’, which, by assiduous exploration of the territories of Desenzano and Lonato, revealed for the first time the existence of numerous Mesolithic sites scattered around the area of the morainic Benacense amphitheatre. The new exhibition arrangement includes a first section dedicated to the earliest phases of occupation of the area of Desenzano during the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. The exhibition continues with a section illustrating Bronze Age craft activities and a focus on agriculture. Ample space is given over to the theme of pile-dwellings, which entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 with the transnational series of ‘Prehistoric Pile-Dwellings Around the Alps’, 111 prehistoric pile-dwelling villages distributed between France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia. The featured Italian pile-dwelling villages are situated in Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige. Among the sites in Lombardy is the pile-dwelling village of Lavagnone, to whose excavations and finds an entire room of the museum is dedicated. Another room hosts items from the Mosconi collection, also from Lavagnone, and important finds from other pile-dwelling settlements of the Garda area. Displays of the materials are accompanied by a series of educational panels and an interactive totem that discusses the major archaeological discoveries of the area.
Open:
Tuesday to Wednesday: 9 am to 1 pm
Thursday & Friday: 3 pm to 7 pm
Saturday, Sunday & public holidays: 2:30 pm to 7 pm
The museum is open on the following public holidays (when not a Monday): 27th January (Saint Angela Merici), 25th April, 1st May, 2nd June, 15th August.
Closed:
Mondays, 1st January, 6th January, Easter, 1st November, 8th December, 25th - 26th December.
Office:
From Monday to Friday: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm.
The museum charges admission:
Full € 4, reduced € 2
Free:
For children of up to 5 years, students and teachers of the schools of Desenzano del Garda, the disabled and their carers, group leaders (1 free every 15 paying visitors), ICOM cardholders, every Saturday for residents of Desenzano del Garda, every first Sunday of the month.
For guided tours a contribution is requested as a reimbursement for the assistance offered by the educators.
Tours may be booked in English on request.
